FM radio reception

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Now I like my shipping forecast at 0535hrs as clear as a bell please, with no distortion, but I can't get that out of my FM radio. I've fitted a new aerial but still the same problem. The BBC website says "always ground the radio to the vehicle body to minimise interference" but that's not easy on a plastic boat. My question - could I "ground my radio" by connecting the Ground lead from the radio chassis to the neutral wire of the saloon lighting ring that runs close to the radio. Or will that lead to the immediate cremation of the entire boat?

TIA

Rob

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In days of old ..... CB that is - a base station used to have a base plate fitted to the antennae to create a ground plane. It was a large square steel or other conducting plate ......

Difficult to fit in a boat though ......


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/
 

Birdseye

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You dont have a neutral wire in a 12 volt system =- and dont connect to the neutral wire on your 240v supply, if you have one.

Distortion is not likely to be an issue for aerial or earthing. Its the radio that probably wants servicing. But the best thig to do to make sure is to connect your emergency vhf aerial to the set and see if the distortion goes away.

If you dont have an emergency aerial , then try connecting your handheld to the boat aerial. You can get a connector at Maplins that will allow this in most cases.

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.
 

Nick_Pam

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Or as an alternative either connect the chassis of your radio to a suitable nut/bolt on the engine, which will give the aerial something to work against.
Option 3 is to run approx 20 foot strip of 1 inch wide copper strip around the bilges of the boat and connect it to the chassis of your radio. The copper strip capitatively connects to the sea-water through the hull due to proximity and again gives the aerial something to work against....this is the way that a SSB radio aerial is installed on board, giving the backstay aerial a "ground plane".
Hope this helps - good luck.
Nick

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